Howard-Grant County IN Archives Biographies.....Small, Joseph J. 1846 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 14, 2006, 10:46 pm Author: Jackson Morrow JOSEPH J. SMALL. The most elaborate history is necessarily an abridgment, the historian necessarily being compelled to select his facts and materials from a multitude of details. So in every life of honor and usefulness the biographer finds no dearth of incident, and yet in summing up the career of any man the writer needs touch only the most salient points, giving only the keynote of the character, but eliminating much that is superfluous. Consequently in calling the reader's attention to the life record of the worthy gentleman whose name heads this paragraph no attempt shall be made to recount all the important acts in his useful life, nor recite every interesting incident in his somewhat remarkable career, for it is deemed that only a few of them will suffice to show him to be eminently worthy of a place in this volume along with his fellows of high standing and recognized worth. Joseph J. Small was born in Franklin township, Grant county, Indiana, October 25, 1846, the son of Gideon and Dinah (Marshall) Small. The Small family came from North Carolina. The father married in Henry county, Indiana, and came to Grant county in 1845, settling in the woods, which he soon cleared and made a farm. Later he traded for another and cleared it up. He moved to Howard county in 1865, locating in Monroe township, where he fanned successfully until his death, his first wife having preceded him to the grave. He married again and his second wife is also now deceased. He had eight children by his first marriage, four of whom are now living. None are living in Howard county but the subject. Our subject was nineteen years old when he came to Howard county. He had attended the common schools in Grant county and the New London high school until he had a fairly good education. Jennie Small, a half sister, is assistant superintendent of the school at Elwood, Indiana, which position she has held for fifteen years with great credit. She is highly educated, being a graduate of the State Normal. On November 18, 1868, the subject was married to Mira Stout, of New London. She was born May 26, 1846, near Paoli, Orange county, this state. The ceremony which made them man and wife was performed in the Quaker church, according to Quaker usages. One son has been born to this union, Daniel E., born September 27, 1869. He is a graduate of the New London high school and married Ella E. Newlin. They reside in Kokomo, where he is engaged in the real estate business and is considered one of the leading young business men of the city. Both the subject and his wife have birthrights in the Quaker church, and have always borne a reputation for honesty and uprightness, being highly respected by all who know them. In 1883 Mr. Small and family moved to Grant county, where he purchased a farm and lived on the same fifteen years. He then moved to Marion and was engaged in carpenter work until 1901, since which time he has lived in Howard county. Mrs. Small has four brothers and one sister, all living, the sister being a resident of Marion, Indiana, and the wife of John Q. Thomas. The brothers are: Edwin Stout, who lives on East Sycamore street, Kokomo, engaged in the gardening business: Albert Stout is in the undertaking business at Russiaville, Indiana: Charles is a newspaper man and lives in Georgia: Louis is a Quaker preacher living at Plainfield, this state. Politically Mr. Small is a Prohibitionist and his influence in this work has long been felt for good. However, he has never sought public attention or been especially active in this work. The Smalls have a substantial and nicely furnished home at 711 South Union street and he has a half interest in a feed store on Home avenue, where a good business is done, an excellent trade having been built up since the subject began this line. Mr. Small was a thorough farmer, and during his long business career has acquired a competency. Mrs. Small has belonged to the Woman's Christian Temperance Union for thirty-five years, being one of the seven noble characters who organized the society at New London, Howard county. She is still an active worker and a hearty supporter of the cause, and both she and Mr. Small hold high rank among the public-spirited, generous and kindly citizens of Kokomo. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY INDIANA BY JACKSON MORROW, B. A. ILLUSTRATED VOL. II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA (circa 1909) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/howard/bios/small170bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/infiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb